Poor Hatter's Off His Tea
by g-robber2056
Summary: Alice returns to Wonderland to find that the Hatter has gone the bad kind of mad and needs her help. I know, so very original. Rated M. Very M. Lots of lemons. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Title may change if I think of a better one.
1. Chapter 1

Alice walked quietly through Lord Ascot's garden, admiring the beautiful day. She passed the gazebo and shuddered at the thought that she had almost been engaged there. It had been nearly a year since that day, and in that time she had sailed to China and back, growing her trading business as Lord Ascot's apprentice. She liked the work, but she had to admit that she was beginning to grow bored with it all. She felt as if she had already achieved the greatest possible goal, there was no place for her to expand to now. And of course, her mother's constant bickering about her lack of a fiancé didn't make things any better.

Alice stopped walking suddenly. Around the next turn was the clearing with the rabbit hole. She had gone there immediately after returning from her trip, but it was caved in. How desperately she wished it were open now! She wished she could return to that wondrous place, unpredictable and filled with people who didn't care if she never married. She looked up at the sky and could imagine the Cheshire Cat's toothy grin hanging in midair. Her eyes turned to the trees, where the light filtering through the leaves was so similar to the color of the Hatter's eyes. The wind rustled through the bushes, sounding so much like the White Rabbit running to lead her to Wonderland.

"Please be open," Alice whispered. She closed her eyes and turned the corner. "Please be open. Please." Very slowly, she opened her eyes. The rabbit hole was open, inviting, the way it had been almost a year before. Alice ran over to it and sat beside it. "Here I come, Wonderland." She let her feet dangle over the edge for a moment before pushing herself down the hole.

This time she was prepared for the long fall and dug her fingers into the side of the passage several times along the way to slow her descent. She still landed hard, but it was much better than the other times. She looked around at the familiar room, excited. She immediately ran to the glass table and grabbed the key and potion that was apparently always there. Drinking the potion in one gulp, she crawled over the fabric of her dress – which of course had not shrunk with her – and found the cake she knew would be there. Grabbing the cake with her free hand, she ran to the little door behind the curtain and unlocked it. With a wide smile, she flung open the door and stepped into Wonderland.

As she walked down the dirt path, she examined the cake in her hand and took a carefully measured bite. As she walked she grew until she reached her proper height.

"There, now. That's better," she said to herself, looking down to make sure the ground was the right distance from her face. As she did, she realized that she was now only in her under dress – not the proper way for a lady to dress. She smiled widely, knowing that nobody in Wonderland would care.

"With a smile like that, you could almost be me," a velvety voice purred. The Cheshire Cat appeared slowly in front of Alice.

"I missed Wonderland," Alice was delighted to see her old companion. "I'm happy to be back."

"Still calling it Wonderland, I see," the Cat turned upside down leisurely. "We, of course, are happy to have you back. Unfortunately, I have some news that you may not take kindly."

The smile on Alice's face dimmed.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. The Cat began to evaporate into smoke.

"Perhaps it will be best if I show you," with that he disappeared completely, leaving Alice alone on the path.

"Cheshire!" she called, truly worried now. The Cat returned a moment later and Alice's heart sank the moment she saw him. "That's the Hatter's hat. Why do you have it? What happened?" Her voice rose as she became frantic.

"I'll take you to the White Queen, but no further. She can explain," he promised before vanishing, leaving only the hat for Alice to follow.

Alice sprinted off as the hat made its way across Wonderland.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice stood in front of the White Queen, who frowned uncharacteristically as she spoke.

"When you left, Underland began to rebuild itself. We all worked hard to remove all traces of my sister's corruption, hoping that life would return to normal. When it finally did, very recently in fact, our Tarrant became discouraged. He felt that he had little to work for. In the past he has always had great dreams, first with his family, then to overthrow the Red Queen, then to restore Underland. It seems that now he feels there is nothing left to do. Life had become predictable in a way, and he couldn't quite stand it. Our first clue that something was horribly wrong was when he went off his tea. It has only gotten worse since then. A few weeks ago, he began talking nonsense and a few days ago he started to become violent. As much as it pains me, I was forced to put him in the dungeon so that he wouldn't hurt himself or others."

Alice's eyes were wide in horror. The Hatter, always so bubbly and cheerful, was depressed and violent?

"Is there anything we can do to help him?" she asked desperately. The White Queen's frown deepened.

"We have tried everything we can think of. Nothing has had an effect."

"May I see him?" she pleaded. The White Queen hesitated, unsure.

"I suppose it is possible that your presence may help him, but it would be very dangerous. He is not himself and may try to hurt you," she cautioned.

Alice's jaw set with determination, the same look she had had while battling the Jabberwocky.

"I don't care. I want to see him."

"Very well."

The White Queen led Alice through the palace to a hallway that was obviously rarely used. She glided up to a heavy metal door and handed Alice the key.

"He is in there. Please be careful," she entreated before gracefully leaving.

Alice took a deep breath and unlocked the door. She struggled to pull it open and when she stepped into the large stone room it slammed shut behind her. The room was dimly lit – how, Alice couldn't tell, as the lack of windows or lamps made it seem impossible. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see a figure curled up on the floor in a back corner, wrapped up in a blanket.

"Hatter?" she called softly. "Is that you?"

The Hatter looked up at her and she could see that his normally green eyes were a dull umber.

"Hatter, it's Alice."

The Hatter bared his teeth slightly and his eyes brightened slightly, reddening.

"You're not Alice," he growled in the Scottish accent she remembered him using when he was mad at the Cheshire Cat. "How dare you be using our Champion's name."

Alice took a small step forwards.

"But I am Alice."

The Hatter stood slowly, the blanket falling to the floor, and walked towards her, only stopping when they were almost toe to toe. Alice looked up at his now crimson eyes and realized that he was looking almost through her, not at her. She started to take a step back when his hands shot out and grabbed her arms. With incredible strength, he shoved her backwards into the wall, knocking out her breath. He pressed her hard against the stone, his hands tight on her arms, and lowered his lips to her ear.

"You will pay for impersonating her," he snarled.

"Hat—" Alice tried to protest before the Hatter spun and sank to his knees, slamming her to the ground.

The Hatter straddled Alice to hold her down as he let go of her arms. Alice struggled hard, terrified. She started to scream, but he pressed a hand over her mouth.

"Nobody can hear you in here," he whispered fiercely and she knew he was right, the walls were so thick there was no way her screams could travel through them. When the Hatter saw the defeat in her eyes he let go.

He grabbed her under dress in both hands and ripped it off of her struggling body before tearing off his own clothes.

"Hatter!" Alice pleaded as she kicked at him and tried to get away. "What are you doing?"

The Hatter grabbed her hips and pulled her out from beneath him, forcing her body to angle up towards him. In a single, rough motion he pulled her to him and forced himself into her.

Alice cried out at the horrible, tearing pain and struggled harder, but he didn't seem to care. He thrust in and out, ripping through her more and more with each stroke. His fingers dug into her hips and when she clawed at them he pressed a hand against her throat. His strokes became harder and faster, pushing deeper into her each time. Finally he finished, panting as he released inside of her.

Alice lie still, tears of pain filling her eyes and sobs choking her.

"Hatter, I-I'm sorry. I promise I'll find a way to help you."

Blood ran down her legs as she rose to her feet. The Hatter grabbed her arms and forced her back down.

"Where do you think you're going?" he smoldered. "You committed a terrible crime. You have more to pay."


	3. Chapter 3

The Hatter stood between Alice and the door, looking down at her angrily.

"Alice is our hero. She promised me that she would be back and you try to rip out my heart by pretending that you're her? You're nothing."

Alice began to slide backwards away from the Hatter and he walked after her.

"How can I prove to you who I am?" she begged. "What can I do? Please, Tarrant—"

"You are not worthy of using my name!" the Hatter roared. Alice hit the back wall of the dungeon and watched in horror as he ran his fingertips over his member, which began hardening again immediately. She was frozen in fear as he reached out and grabbed her lower jaw, forcing her mouth open. This time she couldn't even push him away; she had been using her hands to push herself backwards and was now sitting on them with her back pressed against the wall.

The Hatter pushed himself into her mouth and she coughed and sputtered, trying to turn away. He held her still and pushed in further until she gagged. She tried to bite down on him, hoping the pain would convince him to stop but she found that his grip kept her from moving her jaw at all. His free hand groped at her breasts as he moved rhythmically. Alice whimpered, barely able to breathe with him filling her mouth. She gagged every time he moved and her stomach clenched sickeningly.

_Please make this stop,_ she pleaded in her mind. Praying to make the torture go faster, she took a chance and rubbed her tongue against the Hatter's member once he was all the way in. She saw his eyelids flicker slightly. Slowly, she twisted her tongue so the tip pointed up and ran it gently back and forth. The Hatter moaned slightly and began pushing into her harder and faster. Alice pushed her tongue up against him and sucked hard. The Hatter gasped and released, filling her mouth with the thick, viscous liquid. He withdrew his member and Alice turned to spit, but he pushed his hand up to force her jaw closed. His eyes were still scarlet.

"Swallow," he ordered. Alice reluctantly obeyed and the Hatter removed his hand. Almost immediately she turned and gagged up the semen, which had been rejected by her twisted stomach.

"Please, Hatter," she breathed, "let me go now."

The Hatter exhaled heavily and shook his head. He reached down and grabbed her wrist to haul her to her feet. She stumbled against him, physically exhausted and placed a hand against his chest to steady herself. His eyes brightened to the point that they almost seemed to glow in the dark room.

"You do not even have the right to beg. You are scum, masquerading as perfection. When I am done, you will truly be sorry," he hissed.

The Hatter's grip on her wrist tightened and he spun her away so her back was to him. He grabbed her other arm and held her wrists together with one hand, wrenching her shoulders painfully backward. Alice groaned, too tired even to fight as his free hand pressed down between her shoulder blades, forcing her to bend. He wrapped his arm around her to pull her close and she could feel him hardening against her again. She felt conquered, too exhausted to even ponder the impossibility of it all.

With his foot, the Hatter roughly widened Alice's stance before pulling on her wrists to force her up on her toes. She realized what he was going to do seconds before he did it.

He thrust forward and buried his entire length in her backside. The pain was so excruciating that Alice didn't scream; she couldn't even breathe. When her breath finally returned to her in short gasps, it brought tears flooding down her face. Her knees gave out and she knew the only thing keeping her up was the Hatter's arm wrapped around her waist.

He moved more slowly this time, pulling out as far as possible before quickly shoving himself inside her completely. Alice's vision darkened and her stomach heaved from the pain. With every thrust, the Hatter gripped her wrists tighter until she was sure they were going to break. She felt hot blood trickling down the backs of her legs before he finished.

He pulled out and let go of her wrists. Immediately, she collapsed, unable to support herself. She looked up at him and was relieved to see that his eyes had returned to the dark umber color; perhaps he would leave her alone now.

"You have paid. You may go," he stated flatly before curling up in a corner and falling asleep.

Alice lay immobile for a while longer, waiting for the pain to fade enough to move.

"Now what do I do?" she whispered. "How do I get the old Hatter back?" She could imagine Absolem's voice saying something wise and cryptic: _Stupid girl, he has to see you when he is calm to recognize you._ Alice looked over at the sleeping figure. That's an interesting idea. Perhaps it would work. If it didn't, of course, he would punish her again

"It's my only chance," she realized. "It's his only chance. And I can't go back in this state, they'll never let me near him again. I have to try."

Moving slowly, she crawled to her ripped under dress and pulled it on. Next she crawled to the forgotten blanket, then to the Hatter himself. She carefully covered him with the blanket before lying on the ground beside him. For a while she thought about all he had said. Somebody pretending to be her was committing a "terrible crime" that would "rip his heart out?" She was "a hero," "perfection?" She was worthy of such loyalty and retribution? He must love her. If only he could recognize her. _Of course, I'm risking going through all that again to save him. I think I might love him, too. _Alice looked at the Hatter and bit her lip. _Please let this work. Please let this bring the old Tarrant back._ Then, physically exhausted and emotionally defeated, she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice woke very suddenly and immediately looked up at the Hatter. He was starting to move slightly, he would wake up soon. She had to work fast. She slid carefully towards him until she was only inches away. Very gently, she reached out and took his face in her hands. With her index fingers, she lifted his eyelids just enough to see the color of his eyes. They were still the dark umber from earlier.

"Hatter," she called softly, struggling to keep her fear from breaking her voice. "Hatter, can you hear me? It's me, Alice."

The Hatter's eyes began to redden and Alice swallowed hard, terrified. She tried to think back on all they had said to each other the year before.

"Oh Hatter, I missed you so much. I promised you I would come back, and I did. I'm only sorry I didn't come back sooner. Remember when I promised you? After the Bloody Big Head and her knave were exiled?"

Alice breathed a soft sigh of relief as the red turned to a dark brown.

"Did you and Time make up? Did you have to kill him again when you were waiting for me? I certainly hope not. If Time is angry at you, it will always be tea time, and if it's always tea time when will you ever make hats? The Cheshire Cat has your lovely hat, by the way. He's keeping it safe. You need to wake up and be better so that I can shrink and travel by hat again."

The dark brown lightened as she spoke, becoming a tan color. The Hatter was moving more now and Alice began speaking faster.

"I lost my muchness again, you know. That's part of why I came back. You helped me find it before, I was sure you could help me again. But it looks like you've lost your own muchness. Maybe if I can help you we'll both be better, and then together we can find out why a raven is like a writing desk. And we'll get the March Hare and the Dormouse to help us ponder things beginning with the letter 'M.'"

The tan lightened further, becoming yellow and Alice began speaking so fast that the words slurred together.

"And right now I'm not too small or too tall, I'm my right proper Alice size, so maybe when you wake up you can teach me how to futterwacken and the White Queen told me not to come down here because it was impossible to help you, but I remembered that you said something's only impossible if you believe it is and I'm begging you, Hatter, please come back to your old self."

The yellow began to turn green, a light green that deepened quickly. Alice shifted her hands to let his eyelids fall closed, holding him the way she had in the Red Queen's castle.

"Oh, Hatter, I don't like it in here. I'm frightened and it's terribly crowded. Wake up! Tarrant, wake up!"

The Hatter woke, startled, and opened his eyes, bright emerald eyes that shone in the darkness. He reached a hand up and touched Alice's fingers as his eyes met hers.

"Alice?" he breathed. "You came back! I knew you would!"

Alice threw her arms around him and burst into tears of relief. The Hatter hugged her back tightly. He placed his hands on her shoulders and held her at arm's length to look into her eyes.

"Oh, Alice, I've had such horrible dreams. There was somebody pretending to be you and—" the Hatter stopped talking and stared at Alice's arm. Long, thin, parallel bruises circled her arms. Slowly, disbelievingly, he laid his fingers against the bruises, matching perfectly. His eyes were wide with horror as he did the same to the other arm.

He closed his eyes as though praying as he picked up her hands to see her wrists. There were bruises that matched his fingers there, too. He shifted backwards and looked down, appalled to realize that he wasn't dressed beneath the blanket.

"Alice," he choked, his voice hoarse with shock, "what have I done?"

Alice reached out and took his hand.

"All that matters is that you're back now."

The Hatter shook his head, his eyes dimming to a light blue.

"No, you need to go! Hurry, before I lose my head and hurt you again! Go now and leave me!"

She took his face in her hands again.

"After all you did to protect my name? After all I went through to get you back? No, I'm not leaving you."

The Hatter continued to shake his head, eyes closed in regret.

"I will find a way to earn absolution. I don't know how, but I will."

He looked around and saw his clothes in a pile on the ground. He dressed quickly in the least damaged pieces and knelt before Alice, offering her his hand.

"I want to clean you up so I can treat your wounds," his eyes were lowered in shame.

"I…"Alice hesitated. "I don't think I can stand."

The Hatter winced in guilt. Reaching for the blanket, he wrapped it around her carefully and picked her up. He carried her to the door, which she unlocked, and walked her through the castle.


	5. Chapter 5

The castle halls were completely empty and Alice realized it must be the dead of night. She was glad; she didn't want to run into anybody at the moment. She wondered why nobody had stayed to make sure she came out of the dungeon in one piece.

_They must have expected that I would be able to help the Hatter_, she decided. They continued in silence a little while longer until the Hatter shifted her weight to open a door. They stepped into a large bathroom made of polished white marble. In the center was a round bathtub, large enough for several people to fit in. One side was quite shallow while the other was much deeper, so that someone could lie comfortably in the water.

The Hatter delicately unwrapped and undressed her before laying her in the tub. He undressed himself and climbed in, kneeling at her feet, before turning on the faucet near her head. Warm, soothing water poured into the tub and washed over their bodies, swirling down the drain that the Hatter had decided not to close.

He took a soft sponge and covered it with soap. One arm at a time, he slid the sponge against her skin and cleaned off the dirt from the dungeon. He passed the sponge across her chest and around her breasts, then over her stomach and waist. He gritted his teeth in self-hatred as he saw bruises that had been hidden before: a thick strip around her waist where his arm had held her up and hand prints on her hips.

Alice closed her eyes and let the warm water and slow movement of the sponge ease her tension. She found herself focusing on the Hatter's hand, the one without the sponge. It was running over her skin, helping the water wash off the suds. His fingertips and palm were calloused from his work, and the roughness against her smooth skin was making her heart race.

The Hatter looked at Alice's legs and exhaled sharply. Even with the running water rinsing her off, she was covered in dried blood and semen. His vision blurred and he felt sick.

"How could I have done this to you? How could they have let you see me alone?" He bit his lip and slid his hand under her leg to bend her knee and make it easier to clean. Alice gasped and he snatched his hand away, afraid he was hurting her. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Don't stop," she murmured. The Hatter obliged, cleaning off her legs the way he had the rest of her body. Finally, he carefully sat her up and reached around her thin body to wash her back. He rinsed her off and rubbed soap into her hair. As it sat, he quickly scrubbed himself clean before tenderly rinsing her off. He turned off the water and climbed out onto a mat. A towel hung nearby and he wrapped it around Alice's body. He wrapped a second towel around himself, threw their ripped clothes into a trash can, and picked her up.

They walked through the castle again until they came to the infirmary. The Hatter lay her down on a bed and walked around, gathering supplies. When he came back he unwrapped the towel and spent a long moment studying her wounds. A jar of thin paste was the first thing he picked up, and this he rubbed on her bruises. Alice noticed that their dull ache was quickly quieted and they lightened slightly in color. He took a jar of thicker paste and rubbed some on her wrists and shoulder blades. The paste heated, relaxing the tension in her joints. Finally he picked up a vial of liquid.

"This will hurt," he warned, his eyes willed with pity and shame. Alice nodded to let him know she was ready. The entire contents of the vial splashed between her legs and Alice tensed at the stinging pain as it hit her ripped flesh. The discomfort eased quickly and much of her soreness was gone. The Hatter quickly replaced the pastes and rewrapped her towel.

"One more stop," he informed her before picking her up again. They went into yet another room, this one filled with rolls of fabric and sewing supplies. A floor-to-ceiling window taking up most of one wall showed the castle garden, the sky above it just beginning to lighten with dawn. Alice sat in a corner and watched as the Hatter rushed from roll to roll, cutting and sewing with inhuman speed. Within minutes he had made a beautiful lavender dress that was simple and elegant. It was just the right size and the sleeves were long enough to cover the bruises on her upper arms. Seconds after she finished putting it on, she was handed slippers and gloves that matched. The Hatter then made himself new clothes identical to the ones he had ruined. He looked out at the window and was pleased to see that it was still dark.

"Would you escort me to watch the sunrise?" he asked Alice, who smiled up at him.

"Of course. Would you help me up?" she replied. The Hatter knelt and wrapped her arm around his shoulders so the two could stand together. Alice was still sore, but with his help she could walk around slowly. They went to the window, which the Hatter opened, and walked outside into the cool garden. Alice allowed herself to be led to a bench where they sat beside each other. After a moment, she pulled her feet onto the bench and rested her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and they sat silently, watching the sky change colors.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had risen completely when a floating hat appeared in front of the two.

"Good morning, Chessur," the Hatter greeted. "Might I have my hat back, please?" The Cat's head appeared, his usual wide grin stretching across his face.

"Hello, Tarrant. It is good to see you acting as yourself again."

"My hat, please, Chess."

The Cat sighed as the rest of his body appeared. He reluctantly took the hat from his head and placed it on the Hatter's.

"Thank you."

The Cat huffed slightly and vanished into smoke. Alice and the Hatter stood and walked back to the castle. Alice's pain had nearly vanished and she could walk on her own now. They headed to the kitchen to get breakfast and the Hatter began to motion for Alice to enter first.

"On second thought, perhaps it would be bad manners to make the lady go first," he mused. He stepped into the kitchen and immediately ducked as the March Hare threw a cup at him. "I was right."

"Tarrant," the White Queen greeted with joy and relief. "We're so happy that Alice was able to help you. Come, you two, eat."

The pair sat down and ate a large meal of half a dozen different types of pastries. Alice looked around contentedly at the castle.

"I missed it here," she remarked. "I wish I had come back sooner."

"Why didn't you?" the Hatter asked. Alice could see that he was imagining the possibility, where he didn't go mad and end up hurting her.

"The rabbit hole caved in. I don't know why it was open when I checked yesterday."

"There was nothing to hold you in the upper world," the White Queen explained. "Doors to Underland only open for two reasons. The first is that one of us is in the upper world and is nearby. The other is that somebody in the upper world wishes to come here and has no reason to stay where they are. The last time you tried to come back, did you have business that you needed to finish?"

Alice thought about the day she had come back from China. She had wanted to see everybody in Wonderland, but she still had so much work that needed to be done to be sure the trading continued to be successful. She nodded at the queen, who smiled knowingly before leaving the two alone.

Alice and the Hatter spent the day together walking around the garden and drinking tea. He was still angry at himself for hurting her and was determined to do something to apologize. Alice tried to convince him that she was alright, but gave up when he refused to listen. At the end of the day they watched the sun set together. The White Queen came out and found them when it became dark. She gave the Hatter a meaningful look, and he hugged Alice goodbye before they walked away.

"I'll show you to your room," she told Alice, leading her through the castle. They came to a small bedroom with little decoration. The queen opened the closet door and Alice started, surprised by the amount of clothes that filled it.

"We had hoped that you would come back," she explained. "We wanted to be prepared."

Alice looked through the outfits and smiled.

"They're beautiful."

"Alice," the queen seemed reluctant to ask. "Did Tarrant harm you? You were in the dungeon for quite some time, but Absolem warned us not to disturb you two. I was so very worried, Tarrant had been extremely violent before."

Alice shook her head immediately.

"He didn't touch me," she lied easily. The queen looked unconvinced but didn't press the matter.

"You must be exhausted, I'll let you sleep," she walked to the door, turning back right before she left. "His room is the last one on the right." With that, she left.

Alice took a nightgown from the closet and changed, amazed to find that her bruises had faded to a light yellow and were barely visible. Whatever the Hatter had put on them had worked marvelously. She lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The White Queen was right; she had no reason to return to London. Could she stay here? She knew, of course, that she could. It would make the Hatter happy, as well. _Tarrant_, she thought. _Not the Hatter, Tarrant._ With that thought in her mind, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi, everybody! Thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews! Sorry about the fluffy chapters, I thought the plot needed it. Back to lemony goodness in this chapter. Also, in case anybody was wondering, that position in chapter 3 is known as the "Prison Guard." I learned that on accident when I was a tween and will NEVER do a Google Image search without safe search on EVER again. _

Alice walked quietly down the hall and pushed open the last door on the right. A figure was standing at the window, looking down at the garden, but it was too dark to see who.

"Tarrant?" she whispered. The figure turned, emerald eyes shining.

"Alice?" he replied, walking towards her. "Are you alright?"

"I couldn't sleep," she explained as she pushed the door closed. Tarrant stood in front of her and brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek. Her pulse quickened and she ran a hand down his chest. Very suddenly, he grabbed her and pulled her close, kissing her passionately. She kissed him back and began removing his clothes. He pulled her nightgown off and pushed her back onto the bed. She lifted herself up to reach him and he pressed her back down, straddling her. Alice thought of the dungeon and mentally shook her head. Even in relative sanity he was dominant, but he wasn't trying to hurt her now.

Tarrant moved his head down to her throat, licking and kissing as he continually moved lower. His calloused hand slid across her breast and she moaned in pleasure. A finger was pressed to her lips.

"We have to be quiet," he breathed. "We don't want to wake everybody." Alice nodded and moved his hand back to her breast. He lowered his face to her other breast and licked her nipple. When she arched into him he took her into his mouth and sucked. Alice's breath caught and she struggled to hold back another moan. Tarrant moved his mouth to the other breast and Alice reached down to take him in her hand. She ran her fingertips lightly against his underside and felt his breath speed up against her skin.

He continued to move down her body, pulling himself out of her reach. His hands and tongue explored her stomach, her waist, her hips. His mouth ran a trail of kisses down from her belly button as his hands moved up the back of her legs. When his mouth reached her soft flesh he carefully held her open with his thumbs and took a long, deep lick. Alice's fingers gripped the sheets tightly and he licked her again, deeper. His tongue found her little organ and moved it back and forth, causing Alice to grin against him. As he had with her breasts, he pulled her into his mouth and sucked, sliding his tongue in and out of her so it rubbed against the organ. She had to bite her lip hard to stay quiet.

"Tarrant," Alice pleaded breathlessly. Tarrant shook his head, his eyes sparkling. "Y-you are sadistic."

Tarrant pulled one leg up, running his calloused fingers back and forth against her inner thigh. With his other hand, he slid his index and middle fingers into her. He worked them back and forth expertly and Alice swayed her hips to match him. His thumb pressed against her clit and he moved faster before sliding his pinky up her backside. Alice gasped in pain. It didn't hurt nearly as much as the previous night, of course, but it was still uncomfortable.

"Trust me," Tarrant told her, his voice husky with arousal. His fingers continued to work together and Alice bucked into him, her pleasure strengthened as friction built three ways now. Tarrant removed her hand and rose to his knees on the bed. Alice wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed into her. They moved together hard and fast, the friction building until they peaked together. Alice had to bite down on her fingers to keep from screaming as she climaxed, a pleasure she had never imagined.

The two collapsed back onto the bed, panting hard. Tarrant raised himself up onto one elbow to look down at her.

"Thank you," she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her and they lay together until she fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry this took so long, life got a little hectic. Hope you all like the ending, thanks to everybody who reviewed! Also, just because I'm interested, did anybody catch the movie allusion back in Chapter 4? It was pretty subtle, but the scene had been running through my head when I was writing and I thought, "Hmm…that quote works pretty well there."_

Alice woke the next morning with a smile on her face. She could feel Tarrant lying beside her, his arm still wrapped around her. She opened her eyes to look at him, but found that she couldn't see.

_It couldn't be that dark_, she thought and blinked hard several times to clear her vision. She realized suddenly that her eyelashes were brushing against something; there was a piece of cloth over them. She reached to pull it off, but her hand only moved an inche before stopping, held back by something.

"Oh good, you're up," Tarrant murmured in her ear. Alice started at the sudden noise and found that her legs were tied up as well as her arms. She struggled with the bonds, uneasy at being so vulnerable. Tarrant's hand moved from her stomach to brush the hair out of her face so he could kiss her gently. His fingertips trailed across her skin from the side of her face down her neck and shoulder to trace her arm. Alice relaxed slightly, trusting him.

Tarrant's hand left her skin and moments later something traced her lips. It moved onto her jaw line, then the ridge of her collarbones, leaving her flesh tingling wherever it touched. By the time it traced around her breasts, Alice had decided that it was a feather. It meandered a path down the center of her stomach, tracing her belly button, then outlined her legs. She tensed and pushed towards it as it whispered across her inner thighs but it left her skin at that point.

A second object, smooth and cool, followed the same path. Silk this time. Alice lay quietly, concentrating on the feel of the slippery cloth brushing lightly against her body. After the cloth came a piece of velvet, and then Tarrant's fingertips, rough with calluses. Alice moaned and tried to arch into his touch, but the cloth around her wrists and ankles held her back. She heard Tarrant chuckle at her frustration.

His lips were on her, now, and a high-pitched whine escaped her – he had an ice cube in his mouth. This time, when he was done tracing her body, he placed another ice cube in his mouth before he took her nipples into his mouth one by one and sucked gently. He moved lower down her body and slid his tongue into her. Alice gasped at the cold between her legs and struggled to push her hips towards him. He pulled his tongue from her, letting the cold slide against her sensitive organ. She cried out softly and he sat up.

"Don't make me gag you," he warned, laughter in his voice as he pushed the silk cloth against her mouth threateningly. Alice bit down on her lip and he removed the cloth. She felt his fingers at her ankles, and with a quick twist he released the bonds. His hands pressed behind her knees, holding her legs apart. She felt him press against her, hard and hot, but he didn't enter. He leaned over to kiss her lips gently, which pushed him millimeters closer. Alice moaned softly and attempted to lift her hips to meet him, but he continued to hold her down. His tongue flicked at her lips until they parted and he glided into her mouth. The tip of his tongue ran along the roof of her mouth, bringing another whine from her. He sat up and pushed an inch of himself into her. He rocked slowly back and forth, moving within her just enough to make her attempt to arch into him again.

He wrapped her legs around his waist and let go. Alice tried to tighten them and push him closer, but he was stronger than she was and wouldn't budge. His hands freed her wrists and pressed them against her chest to hold her down. He brought one hand to his mouth and kissed her fingertips and palm, light, fluttering kisses that made her gasp. He placed her hand back on her chest so he could hold both wrists in one hand. His free hand removed the cloth from her eyes so she could look up at him.

Tarrant smiled down at her and leaned down again to kiss her lips.

"I will miss you when you leave," he whispered, his green eyes dulling with sadness.

"I'd never leave you," Alice breathed back. "Not again. I couldn't."

Tarrant smiled wider and his eyes brightened. He kissed her gently and let go of her hands to bury his fingers in her hair. Alice wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back passionately, moaning against his lips as he thrust forward with his hips. They rocked back and forth, harder and faster until Alice dug her fingers into Tarrant's back and his eyes flushed a passionate red that she had never seen before. They lay gasping for breath, arms and legs entangled. Tarrant pushed the hair out of Alice's face again.

"I knew you'd come back."

She smiled at him and laid her head against his chest, finding comfort in the warmth of his body against her. He pulled her close and together they fell asleep.


End file.
